Donal’s Corner – Irish Poker Tour Heads for Athlone and Clonmel

Irish Poker Tour Heads for Athlone and Clonmel

Bob Dylan started his ‘Never Ending Tour’ on June 7, 1988 and it has been going ever since with roughly 100 shows performed in each of the ensuing 37 years. So who am I to complain about life on the road? Get back in the car and head to the Athlone Springs, Donal.

In truth, the recent events in the Athlone Springs Hotel have been very successful and very enjoyable. The central location and big one day guarantees bring players from all over the Midlands and the West. They know that there is a chance of a big payday but there is a certainty of comfortable surroundings, good food, and a great atmosphere.

The Main Event has a bumper €25,000 guaranteed for a very reasonable €200 entry fee. Play starts at 1pm with late entries ending around 6pm.

The following week it’s on to the Talbot Hotel in Clonmel for the fourth re-enactment of the Siege of Clonmel Festival. Clonmel is sometimes known as the Venice of Ireland; not because of the beautiful buildings or the town’s amazing historical significance but because the River Suir tends to flood its banks every year causing massive flooding and other issues. A gondola is recommended when the rains hit.

The Main Event runs across the weekend with €50,000 guaranteed for €200 entry. The usual mix of side events, cash games and shenanigans also await.

Last Word on Killarney

On the last evening of the recent, wildly successful Killarney Poker Festival I was congratulating and commiserating with Tommy O’Rourke just after his magnificent second place behind Finnish visitor Samuel Saariaho in the Main Event when we were approached by Vytautas Aganauskas, one of our most regular Lithuanian players, and he just said, “Tommy, Tommy, you should have kept the money at home!”

My first reaction was, “Huh?”, but then I realised that wherever you come from the Irish Poker Tour can quickly become your home once you jump right in.